The girl in the strange box
by Citizenofwhoville123
Summary: 8 year old Cyril is hiding among the ranks of the Headless Monks when he meets a very strange girl with curly hair who takes him away in her police box.Better that it sound I hope. First Fic, Please read!It gets better after the first chapters, I promise!
1. Chapter 1

"Melody to Nurse, Melody to Nurse, come in Nurse."

Melody Amelia Pond spoke into the comm clipped to the inside of her shirt collar, sidling up against a grey wall and fishing the sonic out of her pocket with some difficulty.

"Nurse to Melody. What's up? Have you gotten into trouble again?"

Melody rolled her eyes.

She was talking to Nurse. He wasn't truly a nurse, but his name was a play on The Doctor, because Nurse was a sort of embodiment of The Doctor. When he had first met The Doctor, he had called himself the dream lord. The Doctor and Nurse had not got on well, but Nurse rather liked her, and she liked him. He was a good companion.

"No, I'm not in trouble 'again.' I changed my mind. Demon's run is boring. Can you and Tilly come pick my up?"

"Uh-hu. Sure. Where are you?"

Melody hit a few buttons on the vortex manipulator strapped to her wrist.

"I'm sending you my coordinates now."

"Alright. See you in a bit. Over."

"Over." She whispered.

Cyril saw the girl before she saw him. His eyes darted from side to side, hidden by the brown hood as he marched in formation with his fellow monks.

He couldn't help but stare

Melody's heart rate quickened as she saw the legion (could you call them a legion?) of monks. Headless monks. That was alright. She knew all about them. But she really didn't want to be seen at the moment. She pressed closer to the wall, holding her breath. The monks didn't have eyes. If they couldn't hear her, they wouldn't notice her. Her throat tightened as she saw the empty blackness of their hoods. She knew that the monks were headless but still, it was demented.

And then, she saw the eyes. Big, staring black eyes, peering out of a supposedly empty hood.

Cyril almost screamed as the girl's arm shot out, pulling him out of line and onto the floor.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like a headless monk?" She hissed in his face. "Oh, never mind. There's Tilly. They've heard me. We need to run, now!"

She dragged him up and toward a plum colored police box.

"What- what is that?" He spluttered.

"It's a police box. And a time machine. Her name is Tilly."

The girl pushed open the door of the police box - Tilly? - and pushed him inside.

"Tilly, out of here now!" She called.

"Are you talking to the police box?" Cyril said shrilly.

"Of course I'm talking to her. She's my sister."

"Your sister is a police box named Tilly?" He said weakly.

"Yup. Well, half sister. Sort of." She looked at him curiously. "You know you can open your eyes."

Cyril pulled down his hood and opened his eyes.

The interior of the purple police box was huge. Impossibly huge. And beautiful. In the center of the room was a sort of... Well, he'd say it was a console, but he wasn't sure.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Nope. Can't deal with it."

"Right then." Said the girl. "Tilly, I'm going outside. Find Nurse, will you?"

The girl dragged him outside again.

Melody stood at Tilly's door, watching the boy. He staggered around, tripping over the hem of his robes, spluttering.

"But we've moved!" he said, amazed. He turned to face her. "Are you human?"

"A bit."

"A bit human? How can you be a bit human?"

She blew some of her dark curls out of her face, stretching.

"I mean, I'm a bit human. Mostly time lord. But a bit human too. Now, let's not talk about me. I'm terribly boring. Let's talk about you."

"I'm boring too." He said quickly.

"First, what's your name. And who are you? You seem young, maybe what, nine, ten years old? Where are your parents? Why are you hiding with the monks? You can trust me. Cross my hearts."

"I'm Cyril, and I'm eight. My parents are dead."

"Well, that's fine. I don't have parents either. I'm Melody. Melody Pond, 13 years old. I'm a time traveller. You could be too, if you like."

"Huh?"

"Do you want to come with me? On Tilly? We can go anywhere in time and space."

Cyril took a deep breath.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"Would you?" The girl, Melody, grinned. She opened the door for him. He went in without hesitation.

Inside, Cyril was greeted by the oddest little man he had ever seen. He was short and pudgy, with a balding head and a big red bow tie.

"Cyril, this is nurse. Nurse, this is Cyril. He's coming with us."

"Is he now?"

"Well," said Melody, "I'm the boss, yeah."

"Course." he said.

"Then yes, he's coming. Tilly, he needs a room. Get on that."

Then, she sent Cyril to bed. It was late. Very late.

But she didn't sleep. She didn't need to.

"Tilly, I want to see an image. One of both of them."

The holographic image appeared on the screen of her scanner.

"Thank Tilly."

She sat forward, staring at the image and holding back tears.

"Who are they?" Asked a voice.

Melody sat bolt upright, trying to block Cyril's view of the screen.

"No one. It's no one."

Cyril elbowed her out of the way and stared at the image.

It showed two people, a pretty woman with curly blond hair laughing as a man with floppy dark hair and a blue bow tie pointed a screwdriver at something off camera, his arm around her shoulder. Cyril pointed a finger at the woman.

"Is that your mum?"

"Of course not! She's not! Why would she be my-" She looked at Cyril. "Yeah. It's my mum."

Cyril looked at Melody's face and could see the resemblance between the two young women, as well as how much she looked like the man as well. She had her mothers curly hair, but it was dark brown like the man's- he must be her father - and she had the same eyes as him. The same weird screwdriver too.

"Are they dead?" He asked quietly.

"No. But I can't ever see them again."

"Why?"

"It's- it's complicated."

"You must miss them very much."

"Yes." She said, turning to him, her face distorted by pain. "I do. More than anything."

"What's her name?"

"Whose?"

"The woman. Your mum, what's her name?"

"River. River Song. My father is The Doctor. I'm Melody Pond. You're Cyril. My time machine is Tilly, my companion is Nurse. Names don't matter."

"But yes, I miss them. Now go to bed."

He did.

Light years away, River Song leaned against the TARDIS console, stubborn tears in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but couldn't.

"We're never going to find her Doctor."

"We can't ever see her again."

"I wonder, Doctor, if she misses us."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what are we doing?"

Cyril stared as Melody whirled around the console, hair flying behind her.

"We're time travelers. We travel. This is your first ride on Tilly, so we'll go somewhere exciting, and beautiful-" She skipped down the door and pushed it open- "Greek!"

Cyril gasped in wonderment as he glimpsed the magnificent sight spread out before him.

"But - but, we've moved? How is that possible?"

Melody looked at him.

"We were over this already, yes? She's a time machine. She travels through time and space. She'd be a rubbish time machine if she didn't move."

Cyril sighed. Melody had tried to explain the finer points of time travel in a rambling speech she had christened the 'welcome aboard Tilly' speech.

"Well, yeah, I knew that, but I didn't really believe you earlier! Anyway, it's really, really hard to concentrate when someone's trying to explain to you about their purple police box time machine named Tilly!"

"Oi!" Said Melody. "She isn't just a police box - she's my sister."

"Yeah, I still really don't get how you have a sister whose a police box time machine. And how is she your sister 'a bit'?"

"Oh, Cyril," Intoned Melody n a singsongy voice, "Everything in my life is in bits. Everything in everyone's life is bits. For instance, I'm a bit human. I'm also a bit time lord. And, a bit Scottish. And a bit TARDIS too, like my mum. What I am more than a bit is bored of standing here! Especially while there's a great big adventure out there waiting for us!"

"Well," Said Cyril carefully, "What exactly are we going to do here?"

Melody pulled a long, blue trench coat from its hanger next the the door and struggled into it.

"We are going," she said, grabbing the strange screwdriver type thing and stowing it in a pocket, "To look around," she put a gun into its rightful place in its holster. "Enjoy ourselves," she clipped what looked like a microphone to the inside of her collar, " And," she said, pushing her hair out of her eyes and grinning mischeiviously at him, "Stay out of trouble."

"How are we going to do that?" he asked as Melody pushed open the door.

"Unsuccessfully!" She said her voice full of good cheer. "Tilly, mind yourself and tell Nurse where we've gone when he wakes up, K?"

She grabbed Cyril's hand and pulled him outside.

A/N Hello! (of course, I realize i'm probably talking 2 the four others out there who are still reading this out of pity for poor, new me.) I apologize for the shortness of this chapter to anyone who cares. Also, the doctor and river will show up in more than Rivers little bit at the end of the first chapter - I just need to get a feel for my own characters first. Sorry about the choppiness so far - it will get better! Remember, reviewers are worth their weight in Jammy Dodgers, as a wise friend once told me! Also, ideas for places for Melody and Cyril to visit would be very cool! I'm going to probably post more soon, once I think of a brilliant way to continue this chapter. I've also been playing around with why Melody hasn't and/or can't see her parents, so anyone who cares will find out soon enough. (yeah, that was a plot point, not just me being lazy in the last chapter.) anyhoo, hoped you like that! Please keep reading!


	3. Chapter 3

24 hours ago - 24,000 light years away

A/N For those wondering, this takes place just before Melody meets Cyril at Demon's Run

Stormcage Containment Facility

River Song sat on her rickety bed, the thin blanket covering her legs, holding a blue, TARDIS pattern journal in one hand and a picture in the other.

It was a picture of a boy, with a mop sandy blond hair, brilliant yet haunted blue eyes, and a grimace. She had found the image tucked inside her journal that morning, but she had no idea who he was or what he meant to her.

River placed the photograph back inside the journal and shut the blue book with a sigh. Setting it down on the bed next to her, she stood up, retrieved her vortex manipulator from its hiding place, and buckled it onto her wrist. She was bored and in a distressingly bad mood, and there was only one person in the universe who could possibly make her feel better at the moment, and that was Rory Pond, the Last Centurian. (She didn't much like the nickname herself, but ever since The Doctor had started calling him by it, it had stuck.)

River plugged the coordinates for Ledworth and grabbed her diary and her gun (you just never knew) before activating the manipulator.

River arrived in the back garden, trampling a patch of pansies. It was dark, and so she was rather surprised to see the light on on the porch, a figure standing, hidden by shadows.

"Rory?" She asked tentatively, because if it was her mother, she would be in trouble for mistaking her beautiful mother for her father, even if it was dark out, and if it was, by startling chance, The Doctor, she would leave.

"River?" Rory stepped into the light, looking pleasantly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I couldn't sleep and was feeling depressed, so I just thought I pop in for tea and condolences."

"Where are we then? The diary's upstairs, but we just did New Arizona. You can pull up a chair if you like." She did so.

River smiled. At her request, the Pond's had been keeping their own journal, so that River never accidentally revealed spoilers - or vice versa.

"Oh, we're in sync then, or at least close."

"Yep. Have you seen The Doctor recently? And Melody! How is she?"

River looked down at the ground.

"What's wrong, River?" asked Rory, looking concerned.

"Nothing."

"You're crying, River."

"Am I?" She hadn't really noticed.

"River, what happened?"

"She's gone." Said River in a choked whisper.

To his credit, Rory did not ask who River meant. However, he still sounded incredibly confused.

"Where did she go? Was she kidnapped?"

"No. She ran. We don't know why or where she might have gone. We just woke up one morning and-" River stopped mid sentence, standing up. "Did you hear that?"

"Um, no. Hear what?"

River turned toward him.

"Who's in there?"

Rory followed River as she opened the door to the house.

"No one." He said. "Just Amy. She's asleep. Wait, River, where are you going?"

River gasped.

"My God, is that the TARDIS?" she said, more to herself than anybody else. "No, it can't be, the TARDIS isn't purple."

Suddenly, the door opened and a girl's head popped out.

"Where have you taken me now, Tilly? This certainly doesn't look like-" She stopped when she caught sight of River. "No, no I can't be here, please get us out right now." She shut the door.

"Melody!" River shouted, reaching out to touch the box her daughter had disappeared into. "Melody, open the door!"

But the police box dematerialized under River's fingers.

Inside the box, Melody Pond began to cry. Nurse laid a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort, but it didn't help.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this, Nurse." She whispered. "But I have to stay away. People will die if I don't."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Hi! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've had a massive case of writers block and been really busy. This chapter takes place just before chapter one, before Melody runs away. Aside from her obviously not being 13 yet, I feel like this is a much younger Melody, more carefree. I have no idea whether you'll like this, but I'd love feedback. (Please...)

Also, please, please review! Please! (getting on my knees and begging with my hands clasped..)

"Melody!"

Twelve year old Melody Pond (junior, if you're feeling all technical about it) looked up from the book she was reading, emitting a noise that could be considered one of acknowledgement. She grinned as she saw the Doctor's head poking out of the doorway of the TARDIS, donning his familiar mischievous, slightly manic smile. Melody realized that she hadn't seen the TARDIS materialize, which either meant that she had been so engrossed in her reading that he'd managed to land it under her nose, or he had had the sense to turn on the stabilizers. Since she had been thoroughly uninterested in the literature her mum had left her, she was betting on the latter, which consequently meant that mum must be with him, because the Doctor would positively never using the blue 'boringers' if he were by himself. It was good, Melody thought, that mum was with him. Of course, she wasn't really all that worried. She had only woken up to find her mother gone that morning, and she didn't even attempt to call her until a full 48 hours had passed. Her mum liked to pop out to run some errands frequently, if only to escape the confines of their shared cell.

Melody was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a normal child.

For one thing, she had grown up in Stormcage Containment Facility, the most heavily guarded prison in all of time and space. Not, of course, for any fault of her own, but because it was where her mum, River Song lived as she served time for the 'murder' of the doctor. When she was first born, her mum had told her, her parents had debated over whether it was the right course of action to send her to Stormcage. If seemed like a horrible place to bring up a young girl. However, as her mum had pointed out, it was possibly the safest place for her, hidden from the prying eyes of those who would do anything to get their hands on a timelord baby. And her father was free to come see them and take them out for a spin in the TARDIS any time he felt like it.

Yeah. Her father was the Doctor. Her mum was River Song. Or, Melody Pond, though she never went by her given name any more. She was a timelord. Or timelady, though Melody personally prefered the latter. She was brilliant, good at shooting things, and had a fondness for hats. Occasionally, a fondness for shooting hats, though she rather enjoyed wearing them too. She had dark, unruly curly hair, pale skin, and the Doctor's intelligent eyes. She had a tendency to ramble (could you tell?) and a gently Scottish accent (blame her grandmum) and at the moment, she was very pleased to see the TARDIS.

"I've been locked up here for ages! You take mum places all the time! Can't I at least come on the TARDIS every now and then?"

She was feeling a bit cross at the moment. She had spent the last few torturous hours growing more and more claustrophobic in her cell, wishing desperately for some intelligent company.

She ran up to the bars of the cell as the Doctor waltzed out of the TARDIS and soniced open the door with a faint buzz. She ran out, squealing and hugging the Doctor. Squealing and hugging wasn't really her style, but it achieved the desired effect, leaving the Doctor looking incredibly flustered.

"We haven't been too long, have we?" He asked sounding concerned? "I would have taken you with us last night, but it was a party for adults, and there's only a certain percentage of the population who are going to believe that you're really 18, just short. I thought I timed it correctly, though."

"First of all, you and River sneak out at night to attend that sort of party? And no, it hasn't been all that long since I've seen you, but I've been so bored! You have no idea!"

"Oh, honestly, Melody, we've only been gone six hours!"

River Song stood in the doorway of the TARDIS, still wearing an extravagant TARDIS blue evening gown and rolling her eyes.

"And no, Melody, it wasn't that sort of party."

"But you've got the Victorian dress on! It must have been fun!"

"Fun is possibly the wrong word for it, sweetie, but it doesn't really matter. Now, stop whining and get on the TARDIS."

Melody pushed the Doctor aside and skipped up to the big blue box, laughing.

"Hello, TARDIS!" She said. "How've they been treating you?"

River nudged the Doctor, who had come to join her in the doorframe.

"She's as bad as you, eh? I remember when I borrowed the TARDIS for a weekend while you were ill, and all you cared about when I got back was how I'd been treating your precious TARDIS."

The Doctor gave her a pleased look.

"I suppose she is a bit like me. That's definetly a compliment, right?"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Before I wrote this, I tried to get this all sorted in my head and realized how difficult it was, so here is a timeline of the current chapters as they happen during Melody's life (I have no idea how everything works with the whole River/Doctor 'our lives are back to front' bit)

Begins with Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 3 (immediately after 5)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Sorry this story is so hard to follow! Please review!

Also, sorry about the wait, but I've been really busy! Special thanks to you wonderful people who favorited this story. It made me smile so much, you have no idea! This chapter should explain some stuff and do some excellent foreshadowing. There's only going to be possibly one more chapter of this younger Melody stuff and then everything will follow where I left off in chapter 2

Chapter 5

The TARDIS materialized in the Pond's backyard, and Melody pushed open the door as soon as it did, her soul brimming with excitement and childish delight racing to the back door and knocking hard.

Amy opened the door and Melody muttered brief hellos and greetings before pushing past her and rushing into the house.

River and The Doctor came out of the TARDIS, The Doctor balancing a stack of neatly wrapped boxes in one hand while trying to wave at Amy with the other.

"Hello Amy! How are you?" He exclaimed, grinning brightly at his friend.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! It is her birthday, yeah? Cause last time I saw you three, she was, oh, maybe five? It's just so hard to keep track with you."

River laughed quietly, relieving The Doctor of some of his packages.

"No, The Doctor just felt like lugging around a stack of boxes with him."

Amy missed the obvious sarcasm and narrowed her eyes, giving the two a look of clear confusion.

"Mum, I was joking! It is her birthday. She's 13."

Amy looked embarrassed.

"Sorry! But this is The Doctor we're talking about, and he's done weirder!"

"He certainly has!" Agreed River, laughing again as The Doctor spluttered indignantly.

"So." Said Amy, drawing closer and lowering her voice so that it could not be overheard by a certain teenaged timelord with excellent hearing. "What did you two get her this year?"

"Well," said The Doctor proudly, "I got her her very own sonic! A very nice one too at that. River, however, bought a stupid thing. She won't even like it!"

"What did you get her River?" asked Amy excitedly.

"A gun."

"A what!"

"A gun. A very nice once at that!" repeated River, mimicking The Doctor's tone.

"God, River, she's 13!"

"So what? I had a proper gun by age seven. I would have got her one earlier, but The Doctor didn't think she was old enough..."

Suddenly, a curly brown haired head popped out the open window, grinning and waving at the adults out in the garden.

"Oi! You three finished chatting? I'm getting impatient in here, alone with Rory,"

A voice from inside muttered "Gee, thanks."

"Sorry! But get in here! It's my birthday and I don't want to be kept waiting any longer!"

Laughing, the three walked up the back steps and stepped inside. As they did, River absentmindedly placed a hand on her stomach, frowning.

"You okay?" Whispered The Doctor so that Amy couldn't hear him.

"Fine." She whispered back.

DW

It had been a pretty good birthday, Melody thought. Not quite as good as Christmas, but Melody got so overexcited by Christmas that it really would be pretty hard to top it.

Sitting with her legs crossed on the floor of the Pond's sitting room, she sighed, feeling full and rather sleepy. Timelords didn't require as much sleep as humans, but even her species went through a few awkward years that were something like puberty and requiring more sleep was one of the more annoying aspects.

Her parents sat together on the sofa, across from Amy and Rory who were smiling at one another. There was something about the atmosphere about the Ponds that made her feel uncomfortable, so she instead glanced over at her parents. The Doctor had an arm around River's shoulders and he whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Melody noticed that her mum looked rather preoccupied and troubled. She was tempted to ask what was wrong, but realized now probably wasn't the right time.

"Right, I'm going to go change into my nightie, if you don't mind. Be back in a second. " she said, getting clumsily to her feet and nodding at her family.

She walked up the stairs and pushed open the door of her room.

She had to stifle a scream as suddenly her mothers words rang out inher ears, something River had told her when she was very little and still spent most of her time at Stormcage.

'There's a woman, Melody, a woman you must never, ever listen to. She wears an eyepatch, and if you see her, you must run. I don't care what is happening or what is at stake, just run. Do you understand me? If you see her, you have to get as far away from her as you can. Just run.'

Standing in the center of her rug was a woman with a silver eye patch, grinning maliciously at Melody.

"Madame Kovarian." she spat, narrowing her eyes in disdain.

"Little Melody Pond. So you've heard about me, have you?"

"What do you want?" Melody said.

"Well, it seems it's time we had a little chat. After all, I raised your mother. I'm practically your grandmother."

"You didn't raise her! You tortured her and brainwashed her to kill the man she loved. I really don't think that gives you maternal status over her."

"You need to run away, Melody."

Melody stopped.

"What?"

"You can't ever see them, not after today. Run away, or I'll hurt them."

"Hurt who?"

"Oh, any of them. One of the silly little Ponds, or prehaps your precious Doctor."

"Not mum?" Melody blurted. She was obviously supposed to notice the absence of her mothers name, especially since Kovarian must at this point have a special hatred for River Song, the only woman who dare appose her.

"No dear. I wont just hurt her. I'll kill her. And, you see, this is why you are going to do everything I tell you."

"Sorry, but you're wrong. I love my mum, but I know and it will kill her to loose me. Is that what you're planning? Making me run away so that they'll let their guard down? I have a better chance of saving mum if I don't run away. Anyway, she can still regenerate. The Doctor figured out how to restore the ability. You won't hurt her."

"Ah, but now is when I let you in on a little secret. Something about darling little River that she doesn't even know yet."

"What? What do you know?"

Instead of talking, Kovarian handed her a stack of papers. It was a scan of her mother from a few hours prior. Melody stared at the large red letters that laughed up at her from the page.

"Positive." She read quietly, blanching.

"Oh, yes. She's pregnant. We may not be able to kill her, but I don't think regeneration will help in this case."

The foul woman was laughing, and it was so sickening that it made Melody want to cry.

"So, I get tonight, and then I leave...to where?"

"Oh, it really doesn't matter. But bear in mind, any contact with them we will find out about. Now, good night, Melody Pond. Happy birthday."

Kovarian clicked a button on a vortex manipulator strapped around her wrist and blew Melody a kiss before disappearing.

DW

Later that night, back on board the TARDIS, The Doctor looked up from the readout on his screwdriver to see his daughter standing in the doorway, looking as if she had been crying.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure. River's in the shower. You okay? You've seemed upset ever since we left the Ponds."

Melody ran over to him and embraced him beginning to sob.

"Oh, daddy, I'm so, so sorry. So sorry."

The Doctor awkwardly wrapped his arms around a rather shaky Melody, pulling her closer, feeling a sudden surge of fierce love for his daughter. She almost never even referred to him as her father at all. He had always simply been The Doctor to her. To hear her call him dad was something so rare and precious that he wished he could hold onto it forever, imprinting the way the words sounded on her like in his memory as well as he could.

He could sense that she either didn't want to or couldn't talk about whatever was making her so upset, and so, rather than push her further, he simply held her and let her cry.

After a while, he realized that she was asleep. Gently, he lifted her up onto his bed, tucked the covers up around her and pulled up a chair. He sat, squeezing her hand and feeling tears running down his own face. He did not reach up to wipe them.

Long after River had come back from the shower to find Melody asleep in her bedroom and The Doctor dosing in a chair, his face still wet from tears, Melody woke up. She packed up her bags and then headed down to the control room, where the TARDIS had already landed. She walked out the door.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered again. "I love you."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N So, it appears I lied about having another chapter before she meets Cyril. It was going to be a brilliant one about how she found Nurse and Tilly. However, I got bored, and I'm the author. So there! Prehaps I shall revisit that bit later.

Anyhow, all you really need to know is that, a, Nurse is what Melody calls the Dream Lord as I mentioned and he helps her fly Tilly and such, and b, Tilly is a modified version of the time machine The Doctor and Idris built in TDW. I, because I'm the writer, decided that the consiousness Tilly developes from the life force of both The Doctor and Idris sort of makes her their child, thus making her Melody's half sister. Melody can converse with her telepathically, which will come in much, much later.

Now, I'm actually going to begin the story (I know, finally, you think. Who knew authors notes could be so rambling!) it picks up where I left off in chapter two (I know, it feels do long ago) sorry about this, I'm addicted to commas and parentheses.

Also, this takes place about seven months after the previous chapter. River had just climbed out of the Byzantium, reportedly her second meeting with The Doctor for him. So, we all know what comes next...I sense plot here...

And finally, SHAME ON YOU! I just got my first review from someone who isn't even a DW fan! Let's try for some more, eh? Please please please! I'm not above begging! (I am on my hands and knees! Please! You'll be my bestest friend, at least in my heart! I'll let you name River's baby! I'm rubbish at picking names anyway!) oh, and check out my new story, the The Faces! Please! I'll bet you're all getting pretty tired of me making puppy dog eyes, so here goes! Sorry it's short!

Chapter 6

Cyril found himself pulled into a very confused, busy setting. Men jabbered away in a language that he shouldn't, but could, understand. Street vendors lined the sides of the plaza their varied wares spread out before them. The air smelled of bread, grass, and fish, and Cyril could see the glittering sea on the horizon.

"Where are we?"

"This is the agora, center of Greek public and social life. It's also a bit like an open air market. We can look around if you like!"

Cyril had to admit, standing in the center of the crowded plaza, that this was pretty cool.

His life, in general, had been pretty low on 'cool.' He had no memories of his life before joining the headless monks, and when he tried to think of anything in his past, all he saw was a black void, the absence of something that should be there. It was disconcerting and it made him wonder who he really was.

However, this police box, this idea, this girl was simply amazing. This place was undeniably amazing.

For the first time in many months, Cyril looked over at Melody and grinned.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at something on one of the stalls.

"Red figure pottery! Mum loves it!" Melody looked upset for a moment before turning to point at something else, shaking the feeling away. "Those are Greek olives, a staple of Greek agriculture, lovely in salads! And that-"

She stopped short, grabbing his hand. Cyril looked wildly around, trying to see what had made Melody so upset.

"They are bad news." She hissed, under her breath. "Run back to Tilly. Wait, where is Tilly?"

"I dunno! Was it my turn to watch her? She's a bright purple police telephone box in the middle of Greece. How do you loose a police box?" Cyril asked sounding annoyed.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind him. Melody cursed under her breath in a language he didn't understand. Cyril finally saw what had surprised Melody.

"My God, are those aliens? Tell me those aren't aliens."

"They are aliens, in Greece no less, but they arent what we're running from."

"Then what," He asked pointedly, panic beginning to set in, "Are we running from?"

That was when he saw the other police box.

It obviously wasn't Tilly. For one thing, it was a bit larger and instead of being purple it was a deep blue color. Stepping out of it was a man brandishing a screwdriver, another man with a rather large nose, a woman with long red hair and a woman with messy blond curls and a gun that looked a whole lot like Melody's.

"Melody." he whispered urgently. It's those people. The ones in the picture you showed me."

"I know! They mustn't see me." She finally located Tilly and began dragging Cyril over to her.

"What do you mean? I thought they were your parents. Don't you want to see them!"

"Look, I promise, I'll explain everything once we get out of here. Right now, just run!"

Cyril didn't argue. He just ran behind Melody as she fought her way through the crowd.

A few minutes later, Melody sat, slumped against the door of Tilly as she explained to Cyril what was going on. By the end of it, Cyril wasn't feeling quite so cheerful any more.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Hello!

I had honestly kinda forgotten about this story, but someone put it on alert not long ago, so I thought I'd post the next chapter the A/N was literally written 2 months ago, so sorry if it's out of date! And I will write a sequel if anyone wants to read one.

This story is quickly drawing to a close, on another chapter or two, but don't worry! I have already mentally mapped out an amazing sequel! So eventually, there may be more (if i decide to)! I'm actually kind of amazed that this story is as long as it even is!

I realize that this scenario has been used so many times that you all must be really really sick of it. I wouldn't even include this, but I feel like its important to the flow of the story. Honestly, I don't even read most Darillium fics, but I am writing one! (Hypocritical, I know. Cut me some slack, I'm really busy at the moment!) This is going to be really angsty, so I apologize in advance! Hope you enjoy this. (Is it a bad sign when authors notes are this long?)

I'm a little worried that River is kind of OOC in

this, so sorry if she is! It's been ages since I wrote this story!

Chapter 7

River was quite enjoying being pardoned. She had gotten used to the Stormcage lifestyle, but being in prison for killing The Doctor even, and prehaps especially, if he wasn't actually dead, did wear a person down.

She was pregnant, out of prison, and getting to spend more time with The Doctor and her parents. It was almost enough to make her happy.

If only Melody was there too.

River missed her, and above that, she was worried about her. In many ways, Melody took more after her, but she had also inherited The Doctor's combination of inflated ego and selflessness. She was willing to, literally and figuratively, take a bullet for anybody and at the same time, she had really no sense of how inexperienced she really was. And God, she was reckless, though prehaps that wasn't something she could blame on The Doctor.

More than anything though, she was exceptionally confused. Melody had seemed happy and satisfied by life. She hadn't ever expressed any desire to leave. So while The Doctor had been trying to locate Melody, River had been trying to figure out why Melody might have left in the first place. She must have had a reason. Prehaps not a particularly good one, but at least a reason.

However, this evening she and The Doctor were alone together. The TARDIS had consented to choosing a new location for the two to visit. And, her crazy life aside, River was happy.

"So, Doctor, where are we going?"

Hyperactive as ever, The Doctor glided over to the readout.

"Apparently The Singing Towers of... Wait, no." he stopped suddenly, looking suddenly and inexplicably sad.

River walked up the steps and into the console room.

"Oh, Darillium! Finally! I've always wanted to go, Sweetie." River turned to look at the Doctor. "What's wrong, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked miserably at her for a moment, but then shook his head.

"Nothing. Why don't you get dressed, River. There's just something I have to get."

"Sure." she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the control room.

DW

"I got you something, River. Well, two things, technically."

The Doctor handed her a wrapped package, his other arm around her shoulder.

River carefully undid the bow and tore the wrapping paper from the box. Inside was the sonic screwdriver the Doctor had seen her with at the Library, and a silver bracelet.

"You got me my own! Thank you!" said River, testing the sonic screwdriver. "And what's this?" she asked taking out the bracelet.

"It's a...perception filter." said the Doctor. "So people won't know that you're...pregnant."

River was shocked to see that he was crying. She wiped a tear from his cheek with her thumb and looked at him in concern.

"What's wrong, my love?" she asked quietly.

"I tried River, I tried everything. I did. But it doesn't work, it's a fixed point, and it has to happen. And I can't save you - either of you. I'm so sorry. River, I'm so sorry."

"What are you going on about? I'm fine, Doctor."

The Doctor didn't say anything, just looked at her, sobbing silently.

"Back to the TARDIS?" River asked.

"Yeah." said the Doctor. "TARDIS."

A/N Reading this, I'm not sure I like the way this turned out, but I thought I should update anyway. I am terribly sorry about the quality of this. I hope someone likes it.


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